Liquid dispensing brush and valve structure therefor



Oct. 7, 1952 BANKS 2,612,649

LIQUID DISPENSING BRUSH AND VALVE STRUCTURE THEREFOR Filed Nov. 22, 1948 Patented Oct. 7, 1952 LIQUID DVISYPENSIING BRUSH AND-VALVE STRUCTURE THEREFOR Agnes F.5Banks, Los Angeles, Calif. Application November 22, 1948, Serial No. 61 ,471

1 v This invention relates to brushes, and particularly to brushes of the character having means embodied therein for dispensing liquid from a reservoir onto the bristles thereof. I

Brushes of various types have been proposed which have reservoirs for containing a supply of scalp-treating liquid or dentifrice, and manually operable means for forcing the same from reservoir onto the bristles of the brush. In such prior devices, the treating liquid is sometimes contained within a collapsible tube, and is forced from the tube into a passage leading tov the brush bristles by pressure-applying means which collapses the tube, the tube being removed from the brush when it is empty and replaced by a full tube. In other devices the liquid is poured into a reservoir of the brush and fed either by gravity or by manually applied pressure through a passage: Such liquid dispensing leading to the bristles. I brushes have several disadvantages, and'fo'r this reason have not been successfully applied to use. For example, a collapsible tube is unsuitable for use in dispensing a liquid, since the liquid is quite apt to flow uninterruptedly from the tube'and thus become wasted, and the control of the flow therefrom involves complicated devices, which i not only are unreliable but are expensive and-add greatly to the cost of the brush. When the liquid is merely contained in a reservoir of the brush it must be poured thereinto, and thus spilling is possible and the hands and garments of the user are apt to become soiled.

It is an important object of this invention to provide a brush of the liquid dispensing type in which a flexible refill cartridge is employed for containing a supply of treating liquid, the car- '2 Claims. (01.15-136) tridge being insertable into a bore or receptacle of q the brush and having at least one opening from which the liquid can flow from the cartridge to the bristles of the brush, by way of a passage in the brush, the cartridge being compressed by manually operable means to cause the liquid to be forced therefrom to the bristles and operative, when released, to create suction, tending to retain the liquid therein so as toprevent leakage of the liquid.

Another object is to provide a brush, of the character referred to, in which the cartridge may be made and sold as I cartridge being readily flexible yet capable of retaining its shape. 7

Another object is to provide, in a brush of the type specified, a simple yet highly efiective means for compressing the cartridge to force liquid therefrom, this means being operated manually a refill for the brush, the- I same;

by a finger of the hand in which the brush is held;

Another object is to provide valve means for controlling the flow of liquid from the cartridge.

. Another object is to provide improvements in liquid dispensing-devices which may be embodied in brushes for hair, teeth, shoes, etc, for dis pensingvarious substances of a'liquid or semiliquid nature. I

A further object is to provide liquid dispensing means for brushes which is simple in construction and economical to manufacture, and one which is highly eflicient in performing its j intended function. 1 I

Further objects are set forth in the following specificationwhich describes two preferred embodiments of the invention, by way of example, as illustrated by the accompanying drawing, In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side view of a toothbrushembcdying the present improved liquid dispensing means;

Fig. 2 is alongitudinal sectional view of the Fig. 3 is across-sectional View, taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2; r

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional View, taken on line 4- 4 of Fig.2;

Fig.5 is a part-sectional. side view of a hair- 7 brush having a liquid dispensing means Qfmodi 'fied construction; l

Fig; 6 is a cross-sectional view, taken on line 6-1-6 of Fig. '5;

Fig. '7 is a viewsimilar to Fig, 6, butshowingthe liquid cartridge rotated to a position to disrupt the flow of liquid to the brush bristles; and,

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary plan view of the for ward end of the brush shown in Fig. 5. I

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 4 of the drawing. the brush shown in these views .is of the dental type for brushing teeth, although it might be employed for applying liquid to variousobjects. This brush has a body [El which comprises ahead II and a handle l2, bristles l3 being "carried by the head. The head H is preferably, although not essentially, detachably connected to the handle 12, and for this purpose is provided with a I reduced threaded extension 14 which is screwed into a tapped hole in the handle. The head H has an axial passage 15 which extends through the extension 14 and which leads to the exterior of the head at a location between rows of the bristles I3, see Figs. 2 and 4.

The handle-12 is tubular, having an axial bore l6 providing a receptacle for receiving a flexible transversely compressible, cylindrical cartridge made and sold as a refill for the brush, and its open end may be normally closed by a readily removablecapv or closure tab which can be re-, moved v prior to insertion of the cartridge into the receptacle H5. The rear open end of the handle I2 is closed by a screw cap 2|, after the cartridge has been inserted into-thehandle.

Means are provided for compressingthecartridge in a transverse direction so as to force liquid dentifrice from the open endof the cartridge and through the passage l5 onto the bristles I 3. This means comprises a resilient,

flexible strip or bar 23 which is disposed'in-a longitudinal groove 24 within the receptacle l5, and which has one. end secured 'therewithin, as shown at 25. The other end of the operating bar 23 carries a finger-pieceifi which projects outwardly through an aperture 21- in'the wall of the handle lz. V 1

By: depressing the'finger-piece 26, theebar 23 is flexed inwardly toward the axis of the handle "[2 so as to flex and compress the cartridge 20. Liquid in the cartridge is thus forced therefrom through the passage tobe deposited on the bristles l3, thedegreeof compression determiningthe amount of liquid dispensed from the cartridge. When the'finger-piece 26is released,

the operating bar 23 springs back to its original unflexed position, therebypermitting the cartridge to assume'its 'unfiexed condition; In this manner a slight vacuum1isecreatedwithin the cartridge 23, andthis tendsto retain-'the-liquid,

therein to prevent leakage.

After all the liquid has been dispensed from the cartridgeZlJ thecap 21 is removed, and the empty cartridge-is slid out "from the handl 'and replaced by a full cartridge, or if preferredthe empty cartridge is refilled and'reinserted into the handle 12. H

Referring now to Figs: 5' to 801. the drawing, the present invention provides a hair-brush'33 which has a head 3| and ahandlei3 2. The head 3! is provided with several rowsof-"bristles 33, and has an axial bore 34 providing-la receptacle. A plurality of tranversely extending passages communicate with the bore 34 and lead to the exterior of the under side of: the head 3! between adjacent rows of the bristles 33:

Adapted to be slid into the. bore 34 is a flexible, resilient cylindricaltcartridge.36' which has a close fit therein. The cartridge 36 has a series of openings 31 in its wall, theopenings being adapted to align with-the passages 35 to'permit hair oil, or other liquid, contained within the cartridge; to flow from the latter onto the bristles33." The cartridge 36'has an inner'closed end, and its outer endis adapted'to be closed .by a knob-like cap138 which is provided with a reduced end.39 onto which the openv endof the cartridge is stretched to. provide a leak-proof connection.

The cap 33 abuts'theendi-of' the head .31 to limit sliding movement ofthe. cartridge. into the bore 34, and is employed as'a means for. rotating the cartridge 36 from-the position shown in Fig. 6, wherein the openings 31 align with. thepassages 35 to permit fiowof liquidfrom. the cartridgeonto the bristles, to. the. position illustrated in Fig. 7,:whereinithe.openings and pas 4 sages are out of registry to prevent such flow of the liquid. The cap 38 has a lug 40 on its inner face which is disposed in a slot 41 in the end of the head 3|, the lug engaging the opposite ends of the slot to limit the rotation of the cartridge in either direction. The cartridge 36 may be made and sold as a filled container, the liquid being retained in the cartridge priorto its insertion in the'head 3| by a readily removable strip normallycovering the v openings 31.

As in the device shown in Figs. 1 to 4, the liquid.is dispensed from the cartridge 33 in response' to. pressure exerted thereagainst which causes compression of the cartridge. The

"meansforcompressing the cartridg 33 consists of a flexible strip or bar 42 which is disposed in a longitudinal groove 43 within the bore 34 and having one end secured to the head 3|, as indicated at 44. The other end of the operating bar 42. isbentflupwardly and projects. outwardly through an aperture 45, the extremity of the bent portion being provided. with a finger-piece 45 which facilitates depression of the bar 42.

To.force liquid from the cartridge 33 onto the bristles. 33, the cartridge is rotated from. the position shown in Fig. 7 to that illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6. The finger-piece 43 is then forced downwardly to cause fiexingof the operating bar 42,..W1'1i01'1 then acts to compress the cartridge 36 in the manner indicated by broken lines in Fig. 5, whereupon liquid is forced through the open! ings 3'! and passages 35,:which serveas a Valve means, and ontothe bristles 33. When the bar 42 is released, suction created in the cartridge 36 serves to retain the remainder of the liquid therein. but to positively guard against leakage of the liquid the cartridge is rotated to the position shown in Fig. '7 to close the valve means.

While I have herein shown and described the improved brush as embodied in two preferred forms ofconstruction, by way of example, it

.will be understood that-various modifications might-be made in the construction without departing'from the spirit of the invention. Therefore, without limiting myself in this respect, I claim: I

1. A' brush,,comprising: a brushbody having a head at one end and ahan'dle at the other end, said head having a bore therein and passage means leading from said bore to theexterior of the head; bristles on said head; a flexible refill cartridge disposed in said bore and having aperture means communicating with said passage means, said cartridge being adapted to contain a liquid yandhaving an open end closed by a cap, said cap bein disposed exteriorly of said head and adapted to rotate said cartridge to a first position to align its aperture means'with said passage means and'to a second position to disalign saidaperture means and'passage means; and manuallyoperable flexible means on said head'engageable withsaid cartridge and adapted to compress the same toforce liquid therefrom and through said passage means onto said bristles.

'2. A brush as defined in claim 1, including stopmeans for limitingrotation of said cartridge in either direction, said stop means comprising a lug on said cap disposed in a slot in the end. of said head, said lug being engageable with the ends of said slot.

AGNES F. BANKS.

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